November 2017
I hope that you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving. As the holiday season begins, I want to provide a few updates about recent developments over the past month in Congress and share some important information from my office.
Earlier this month, the House passed a massive tax bill at a cost of $1.4 trillion dollars. The vast majority of the benefits of this bill go to the top 0.1 percent of income earners through tax cuts for large corporations and elimination of the estate tax so that the very wealthiest can receive massive inheritances tax-free.
Most important for Californians, the bill repeals the deduction for state and local taxes. This disproportionately hurts those of us living in high cost of living areas like Silicon Valley and could raise taxes on more than 43 percent of CA-17 residents.
The Republican tax bill also takes away deductions and credits that millions of middle class Americans use to keep up with rising costs of living. Specifically, the bill eliminates:
- The deduction for medical expenses
- Tax benefits that help college and graduate students
- Tax credits for electric vehicles
- And more…
The Senate is attempting to pass its own version of the tax cuts package, which would include a repeal of the Affordable Care Act's individual mandate. This is a blatant sabotage of the ACA in order to pay for handouts to huge corporations and the super-wealthy. I will continue to fight the President's tax bill. Real tax reform means returning money to Americans families who need it the most.
*Reminder* California residents can still sign up for health care coverage for 2018. Visit CoveredCA.com to enroll – the deadline is January 31st.
For those receiving coverage for the first time, insurance is more affordable than you think. 80 percent of consumers will find plans for less than $75 a month, and the majority of them will qualify for financial assistance. For those who had coverage in 2017, I encourage you to check out your options. You might find an even better deal.
It was great to see so many of you at my November town hall meeting in Newark and to answer your questions. I hope to see you at my town hall tomorrow afternoon starting at 4:30 p.m. at Lynbrook High School in San Jose. If you can't make it, you can watch on Facebook Live. And be sure to follow me on Facebook and Twitter@RepRoKhanna.
Also, keep an eye out for a December tele-town hall announcement next.
Ro
VALOR Act Signed into Law
I am very proud that my first bill, the bipartisan VALOR Act, was signed into law earlier this month. This new law opens up apprenticeship opportunities for veterans in CA-17 and across the country. I am honored to be the first freshman Democrat in the U.S. House of Representatives to have introduced a bill that became law. Read my op-ed in the Texas Tribune with Rep. Arrington (R-TX) on why we tackled this issue together.
House Passes Yemen Resolution
The House also passed my resolution acknowledging, for the first time, unauthorized U.S. involvement with the Saudi-led coalition in the Yemen Civil War. Yemeni civilians are experiencing what three U.N. agencies are calling "the world's largest humanitarian crisis", due to the actions of the coalition. This is an important step to begin the conversation surrounding U.S. interventionist policies and our Saudi alliance. Read my full statement here.
Introduced Amendment Protecting Our Forests
I introduced an amendment to the Resilient Federal Forests Act eliminating a portion of the bill that would remove judicial oversight from the U.S. Forest Service. While the amendment was voted down, largely on party line, I was proud to stand up for the environment against logging interests and corporations. Read more from The Hill here.
Constituent Services
Case workers in my Santa Clara office are available to help CA-17 residents navigate through the bureaucracy of federal agencies. My staff can assist with immigration or visa issues, Social Security payments and VA paperwork, among other areas. Visit my website for more information.